In computing, a distributed file system allows applications executing on a host computer to access files located on separate, remote host computers as though the accessed files are on the host computer. To do so, distributed systems can operate in clusters of computers. When a user accesses the cluster to execute an application, a cluster management system that manages the file system virtualizes the entire cluster as a single machine to the application. The identity of the computer in the cluster that executes the application is typically transparent to the application. The distributed file system dynamically assigns a computer to execute the application. When an application executed by a computer in the cluster requires access to one or more files for execution, the distributed file system makes the file available to the application.